Horace G. Smithy Lecture

The Horace G. Smithy Lectureship honors Dr. Smithy, a pioneer in the early days of cardiac surgery.  

  
November 14 Smithy Lecture:

“Mitral valve prolapse: Is there a cure?”

 

Invited Speaker - Michael Borger, M.D. Ph,D.

University Professor of Cardiac Surgery

University of Leipzig, Germany

Director of the University Clinic for Cardiac Surgery

Leipzig Heart Center

 

Biography for Michael A. Borger, MD PhD

Michael Borger is the University Professor of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Leipzig, Germany, and the Director of the University Clinic for Cardiac Surgery at the Leipzig Heart Center, one of the largest cardiac surgery centers in Europe. He took over the position in 2017 from Dr. Friedrich Mohr, a pioneer and visionary in the field of cardiac surgery. He also became the Medical Director of the Leipzig Heart Center in 2023. Prior to his current positions, Dr. Borger was the Director of Aortic Surgery and the George H. Humphries II Chair at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. He also served as the Leading Consultant Surgeon at the Leipzig Heart Center from 2009 – 14. He performed his cardiac surgery residency training and PhD thesis in “Neurologic complications of cardiopulmonary bypass” in Toronto, Canada, under the mentorship of Drs. Tirone David and Richard Weisel. He completed both of these trainings in 2001.

Dr. Borger's clinical and research interests include complex aortic surgery, minimal invasive and percutaneous valve procedures, aortic and mitral valve repair surgery, and ischemic mitral regurgitation.  He is an author on over 600 peer-reviewed publications, including several guideline documents.  Dr. Borger is a former Associate Editor for the European Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Structural Heart: The Journal of the Heart Team. He currently sits on the Editorial Board of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology and AORTA. He is a member of several international cardiac surgery and cardiology medical societies, is a former President of the Heart Valve Society, is a Steering Committee Member of the Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network, and was appointed  al invasive and percutaneous valve procedures, aortic and mitral valve repair surgery, and ischemic mitral regurgitation.  He is an author on over 600 peer-reviewed publications, including several guideline documents.  Dr. Borger is a former Associate Editor for the European Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Structural Heart: The Journal of the Heart Team. He currently sits on the Editorial Board of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology and AORTA. He is a member of several international cardiac surgery and cardiology medical societies, is a former President of the Heart Valve Society, is a Steering Committee Member of the Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network, and was appointed as the International Director of the American Association of Thoracic Surgery in 2022.  

Recent Past Speakers (Note: 2018 lecture was cancelled due to hurricane)

2022	Richard Ohye, M.D.	"3D-Printed, Patient-Specific, Bioresorbable Airway Splints for Pediatric Tracheobronchomalacia"
2021	Yolonda Colson, M.D., Ph.D.	The Surgeon and Engineer Meet at Dinner
2019	Thomas Krummel, M.D.	Best Way to Predict the Future…is to INVENT it!
2018	W. Randolph Chitwood, Jr. M.D.	Innovators and Innovation in Cardiac Surgery: Past, Present, and Future
2017	David R. Jones, M.D.	Current Management of Stage III(N2) NSCLC
2015	Vaughn A. Starnes, M.D.	Opening Doors: A Surgeon’s Journey Over Thresholds
2014	Martin Elliott, M.D.	10 Commandments for Safety in the Operating Room
2013	Shafique Keshavjee, M.D.	The Future of Transplantation: Personalized Medicine for the Organ
2012	Lawrence H. Cohn, M.D.	How to be a Safe and Effective Surgeon
2011	Leonard Lee Bailey, M.D.	Evolution of Infant Heart Transplantation
2010	G. Alexander Patterson, M.D.	Tribal Leadership in Surgery

About

On January 30, 1948, Dr. Smithy was a young Assistant Professor of Surgery at MUSC who made medical history by successfully removing scar tissue from a heart valve of a young, incapacitated girl who had been given but a brief time to live.  

The technique employed by the 34-year old Horace G. Smithy was based upon two years of exhaustive research experimentation. Dr. Smithy’s research included the design of a new instrument, known as a valvulotome, to cut scar tissue blocking heart valves of rheumatic fever victims.  He subsequently operated upon six additional patients, four of whom survived.  

Tragically, Dr. Smithy himself had valvular heart disease as a result of rheumatic fever during childhood, and his condition began rapidly deteriorating and Dr. Smithy died on October 28, 1948. However, from his pioneering efforts, enormous progress has been made. Today, reliable prosthetic heart valves are widely available and surgery for valvular heart disease is standardized and carries a very low risk in most individuals.